ICONIC processed food has been much in demand in the village of Cerne Abbas where children have been learning about the Second World War.

The school spent a special week studying the conflict and coming to school dressed in clothes from that time.

They were helped by Chris Cropson from Bovington Tank Museum, who brought along genuine artefacts for the children to touch and see.

Pupils from Year 3 and Year 4 also spent a day in Cerne Abbas village hall cooking food from the time, including Spam fritters, helped by Jill Cropson from Thomas Hardye School.

Teacher Jan Crisford said: “They spent the morning making their own meal out of produce from their gardens at home – apples and vegetables.

“They also made salad and Spam fritters which they loved. I think there is a great demand for them in the children’s homes now.”

She added: “We are still learning about the Second World War. We had items from the Tank Museum for the children to see and handle and they have been learning about the blitz and evacuees and asking members of their own families about their wartime memories.

“They even heard a siren going off in the playground and have been carrying out research into how the village was affected by the war.”

The children have also been dressing up as youngsters from the Second World War era – and Mrs Crisford came into school in fancy dress for the week as well.

“The children made a lot of comments about how itchy the materials used were,” she said. “And the boys said their knees felt cold wearing shorts.”